Improved elastic compound



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS BUCHHOLTZ, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVED BLASTIC COMPOUND.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwrs BUCHHOLTZ, of Richmond, in the county ofHenrico, in the State of Virginia, have invented a new Oomposition ofExplosive Powder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description of manufacturing it thereof.

The composition consists of four ingredientssaltpeter, charcoal,lycopodium, and white sugar. ,Three different qualities are to bemanufactured, according to price and use.

Minimum and maximum parts to be taken of each of these ingredients.

Minimum. Maxi mum. Saltpeter t .45 80 Charcoal .20 10 Lycopodium 20 5White sugar 15 5 The manufacturing will be done in a commongunpowder-mill. Charcoal will be put in the stamping and the mill set inmotion; after half an hours stamping, will be mixed to it saltpeter, andagain after half an hours stamping, will be put to it lycopodium andwhite sugar. The composition or the ingredients will be moistened withthree-fourths of a pint of glue-water, and the stampingis to becontinued without interruption an hour. After this time the compositionis to be moistened with one-fourth of a pint of glue-water. After sixhours of stamping the whole mass will be sticky or strong, and the massfrom the stamping No. I taken out and put in the stamping No. II, themass from the stamping No. II put in No. III, and from all the stampingsin this manner the mass is to be changed. All this is carefully done.The stamping is to be continued again six hours, except when the massduring the above-mentioned times is to be moistened. Four times is themass to be changed from one to the other stamping, each time six hourslong, from one to the other charge, and after twenty-four hours isperfectly mixed up and finished the abovementioned composition, and maythen be pressed, grained, tried, and prepared for use.

The nature of this explosive composition, first, is that it cannot bemade explosive either by friction or by a sudden shock; second, by

setting fire to it it burns like alcohol or paper, but very slow third,in contact with red-hot iron it burns, but it ceases to burn if the ironis removed; fourth, suppose a magazine filled with such powder would beset on fire by any accident, it would burn out or down without anydestruction by a sudden explosion; fifth, used for bursting rocks orshells it produces gases of the most intense heat, and effects a morepowerful destruction than any other composition of gunpowder; sixth, itcan be prepared without danger and at any place, it is less expensivethan the manufacturing of gunpowder; seventh, the quantity to be takenfor bursting purposes is in proportion from one to three, as, to beunderstood, one pound of this composition will have the same ora greatereffect than three pounds of the common gunpowder.

My powder is not intended to be used as a projecting charge, but is usedonly as a burst in g charge for shells by the agency of the fuse, thefuse whereof has an addition at the bottom of a small chamber containingfive grains of common powder. The explosion of the latter envelopssuddenly my blasting compound with burning gases, and in this way causesit to explode.

For blasting rocks a few grains of common powder may be poured into thebottom ofthe tube or on the top of the blast. The match is then insertedas usual; or the ordinary match may be inserted into the bottom of thebursting-charge. The hole of the blast is to be rammed up as tight as itcan be. produced from the match will be confined to the bursting-chargeand will cause the bursting. I experimented in both the ways abovementioned, and always with success.

What I claim as my own invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

The composition and application of the above-mentioned ingredients,whether in the ratio described or any other substantially the same, inthe manner and for the purposes substantially as specified.

LEWIS BUOHHOLTZ.

Witnesses:

G. A. SCHWARZMAN, W. EM'ERY.

The gases

